4-Cheese, Fig, & Prosciutto Pizza
This is my recreation of a pizza I used to order at a local chain pastaria that has since gone out of business. The combination of cheeses, figs, and prosciutto is really magical!
Ingredients
- 1 8-10 inch pizza crust
- 8-10 dried figs
- apple juice or apple brandy enough to cover the figs in a small pot
- 2-3 ounces Gruyere cheese grated
- 2-3 ounces fontina cheese grated
- 2-3 ounces mozzarella cheese grated
- 2 Tablespoons aged, syrupy balsamic vinegar See notes
- 2-3 slices prosciutto torn into smaller pieces
Instructions
- Place a pizza stone on the oven rack positioned in the middle of the oven. (See notes.) Preheat the oven to 500°F about a half hour before you plan to bake.
- Put the figs and apple juice or brandy in a small pot over medium heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Flatten out the pizza dough to the thickness of your choice. I usually do this on a piece of unbleached parchment paper.
- Arrange the cheeses on the dough.
- Cut the figs in half and arrange on top of the cheese.
- Bake at 500°F until the cheese melts and bubbles, and the crust is golden, 10-12 minutes.
- Remove the pizza from the oven, and arrange the prosciutto on top. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.
Notes
If you don't have a good aged, syrupy balsamic vinegar, put ½ cup of balsamic vinegar in a small pot and reduce it to 2-3 Tablespoons. To reduce it, put it on medium-high heat, bring it to a boil, then simmer it for 2-5 minutes. Watch it carefully so as not to burn it. It will continue to thicken after you take it off the heat so don't leave it too long.
If you don't have a pizza stone, use a baking sheet, but there's no reason to preheat it like you would a stone. And get yourself a stone!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!